Forging press with adjustable working gap

ABSTRACT

A rotating horizontal shaft of a forging press carries an eccentric disk engaging a vertically reciprocable pressure block bracketed by arms of a yoke-shaped forging hammer. A pin spanning the arms of the forging hammer of the press passes eccentrically through a cam sleeve, lodged in the force-transmitting member, whose angular position determines the relative spacing of the hammer and the block. The sleeve is designed in part as a worm wheel meshing with a worm which is rotatable, via an articulated telescoping shaft, by a servomotor fixedly mounted on the press frame. The pressure block is split to form two bearing halves for the sleeve which are normally held together by elastic tie rods to clamp the sleeve and prevent its rotation. A hydraulic cylinder can be operated to separate the bearing halves, thereby allowing adjustment of the working gap between hammer and anvil by actuating the servomotor.

ihiiiefi i$ Patent 1 1 Bethe [4 1 Apr. 10, 1973 3,521,475 7/1970 Bothe..72/429 Primary Examiner-Richard J. Herbst Assistant Examiner-Gene P.Crosby AttorneyKarl F. Ross ABSTRACT A rotating horizontal shaft of aforging press carries an eccentric disk engaging a verticallyreciprocable pressure block bracketed by arms of a yoke-shaped forginghammer. A pin spanning the arms of the forging hammer of the presspasses eccentrically through a cam sleeve, lodged in theforce-transmitting member, whose angular position determines therelative spacing of the hammer and the block. The sleeve is designed inpart as a worm wheel meshing with a worm which is rotatable, via anarticulated telescoping shaft, by a servomotor fixedly mounted on thepress frame. The pressure block is split to form two bearing halves forthe sleeve which are normally held together by elastic tie rods to clampthe sleeve and prevent its rotation. A hydraulic cylinder can beoperated to separate the bearing halves, thereby allowing adjustment ofthe working gap between hammer and anvil by actuating the servomotor.

10 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures FURGKNG PRESS WETH ADEUSTABLE WORKING GAP[75] Inventor: Werner Bethe, Dusseldorf, Germany [73] Assignee:Masehinenfabrik mnciever GmbH, Dusseldorf, Germany [22] Filed: Sept. 28,1971 [21] Appl. No.: 184,378

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Sept. 30, 1970 Germany ..P 20 48109.8

[52] US. Cl. ..72/441, 72/446, 72/452, 100/257 [51] Int. Cl. ..B21j 9/20[58] Field of Search ..72/44l, 446, 452; 100/257 [56] References GitedUNITED STATES PATENTS 508,974 11/1893 Ramacciotti ..72/446 3,033,0555/1962 Hahnel ..72/446 3,162,232 11/1964 Munschauer.... ..100/2573,334,581 8/1967 Bergman ..72/441 v i" of? g I PATENTED P 1 019753,726,123

sum 1 BF 4 FIG.

Werner Bofhe INVENTOR.

Attorney PATENTEB APR 1 01m SHEET 2 [IF 4 FIG. 2

l/WLNTOR Werner Bofhe Attorney -mum] 0197a 3, 3

SHEET 3 OF 4 Werner Bofhe INVENTOR.

G d Ross Attorney PATENTEU 1 01 75 SHEET u or 4 a A 0 a v m III M AINVENTORZ Werner Bofhe Attorney FIG. 4

FORGING PRESS WITH ADJUSTABLE WORKING GAP FIELD OF THE INVENTION Mypresent invention relates to a power press, more specifically to ahigh-speed forging press having a reciprocating hammer driven by aneccentric.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In my prior U.S. Pat. No. 3,521,475 there isdisclosed a forging press wherein a shaft, connected directly through aclutch to a motor, carries a large flywheel and an eccentric. Aforce-transmitting pressure block hugs the eccentric and engages thepress hammer in order to reciprocate same, usually vertically, as theshaft rotates. Thus, the hammer executes a predetermined stroke towardand away from a co-operating anvil or bed on the press frame.

In such a forging press it is often necessary to adjust the height ofthe working gap, i.e., the minimum space between the hammer and theanvil. This adjustment is generally carried out with the aid of aservomotor raising or lowering the anvil or press bed. Such a system hasthe serious disadvantage that, when the press is used in an assemblyline or the like, a change in the height of the anvil disruptsthe'continuity of the work flow.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION It is, therefore, the general object of myinvention to provide means in such a press for varying the working gapwithout changing the position of the anvil.

A more specific object is the installation of such gapadjusting means onthe hammer side of the press in a manner insulating the servomotor fromthe dynamic impacts of the hammer drive.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The above objects are attained, accordingto thepresent invention, by a press wherein the two jointly reciprocablemembers, i.e., the hammer member and the force-transmitting block, areinterconnected by an eccentric coupling which includes a transverseelement, such as a cam sleeve, rotatably lodged in one of these members,preferably the pressure block. This element is operatively joined to anelectric or hydraulic servomotor, mounted on the press frame, through aflexible link such as a telescoping and universally jointed shaft.

According to another feature of the invention, I provide selectivelyoperable blocking means to prevent the cam sleeve from rotating exceptwhen an adjustment of the working gap is to be carried out. To this endthe member supporting this sleeve is split into two bearing halvesnormally held together by one or more elastically extensible tie rods.The two bearing halves may be forcibly separated, by a hydraulic orpneumatic jack, to unclamp the sleeve for adjustment purposes.

In accordance with yet another feature of this invention the couplingbetween the two members includes a worm driven by the motor and meshingwith a worm wheel on the cam sleeve. The sleeve surrounds a pin thatspans two arms of the yoke-shaped hammer member bracketing the pressureblock.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING The above and other objects, features andadvantages of the present improvement will become apparent from thefollowing description given with reference to the accompanying drawingin which:

FIG. 1 is a sectional elevational view of a press according to myinvention;

FIG. 2 is a section taken on the line II II of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of a portion of the press taken in thedirection of arrow III of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of the region of FIG. 2 indicated by arrowIV.

SPECIFIC DESCRIPTION As shown in the drawing, a forging press embodyingmy invention has a frame 1 in which is journaled a shaft 2 carrying aneccentric disk 3. The shaft 2 also mounts a flywheel l8 entrainedbymeans of keys 19, a drive motor 20 being couplable to this shaftthrough a clutch 21. Thus, as the shaft 2 rotates about its axis A, theeccentric 3 is moved so that its axis A describes a cylinder of a radiusr around the axis A. The base of frame 1 forms an anvil 6.

Snugly surrounding the eccentric 3 via a journal sleeve 22 isenforce-transmitting member or pressure block 4 receiving in turn ahorizontal pin 14 whose ends are mounted in two upstanding arms 5', 5"of a yoke-shaped hammer 5 that can slide up and down in guide rails 34on the frame 1. Thus, as the shaft 2 is driven by the motor 20, themember 4 reciprocates vertically and the hammer 5 moves with it, itsdisplacement relative to the stationary anvil 6 being equal to 2r.

The working gap G of the device, as shown in FIG. 1, is the distancebetween the lower face of hammer 5 and the top of the anvil 6; this gapcan be adjusted by displacing the hammer 5 relatively to theforce-transmitting member 4. To this end a cam sleeve 7 surrounds thepin 14 in its central region where this pin pases through the block 4.The sleeve 7 has a thickness varying from a maximum T to a minimum t, asseen best in FIG. 4. Thus the hammer 5 may be moved with reference toblock 4 through a distance 2(Tt) equal to the distance between the axisA" of the pin 14 and the axis A' of the outer peripheral surface of thesleeve 7. The hammer also carries a hydraulic jack 33 which may beoperated during each upstroke to displace, through a lever 34, aknockout pin 35 for dislodging adhering workpieces.

The adjustment of the relative positions of the hammer 5 and thepressure block 4 is carried out by rotating the sleeve 7 on the pin 14.To this end the sleeve 7 is formed around its center as a worm wheel 8engaged by a worm 9 which is driven .by an electric servomotor 11carried on the press frame I. The worm 9 has a shaft 23 rotatablyjournaled in a horizontal bore 24 of block 4 by bearings 25. The outerend of the shaft 23 is connected via a ball-type universal joint 12 to atelescoping shaft 10, consisting of two nested, splined and relativelyslidable sections, whose other end is linked via another ball-typeuniversal joint 13 to the output shaft 26 of the motor 11 parallelingthe worm shaft 23. Energization of motor 11 rotates the worm 9 to turnthe sleeve 7 on the shaft 14, thereby changing the relative position ofthe hammer 5 and the forcetransmitting member 4.

The block 4 is horizontally split at a recess 15 into an upper bearinghalf 4', rigid with the body of the block, and a complementary lowerbearing half 4" integrally but flexibly joined to it in the regiondiametrically opposite the recess 15 which is spanned by two tie rods 16clamping the cam sleeve 7, cradled in these bearing halves, tightly inposition. The tie rods are stretchable, against their inherentelasticity and/or the force of strong loading springs not shown, by ahydraulic jack 17 inserted in the recess 15. As shown in FIG. 2, jack 17is connected via a conduit 27 to a source 28 of highpressure fluid, theconduit being normally blocked by a manually operable valve 29. Apressure-responsive actuator 30, connected to conduit 27 downstream ofvalve 29, controls a circuit breaker 31 in a supply line betweenservomotor 11 and a current source 32 therefor. A manual switch 36 inseries with circuit breaker 31 serves to energize the motor but isineffectual as long as jack 17 is not pressurized to spread the bearinghalves 4', 4" apart so as to facilitate rotation of sleeve 7; thus,actuator 30 serves as a lockout means preventing untimely operation ofmotor 11. The lower bearing half 4" could also be completely separatedfrom the block 4, with duplication of the tie rods 16 on opposite sidesof sleeve 7.

Although my invention has been specifically illustrated with theeccentric coupling between members 4 and designed as a cam sleeverotatably lodged in block 4, it will be apparent that a kinematicinversion of this arrangement is also possible, as by mounting thatsleeve in the top part of hammer 5 between descending arms of block 4engaged by pin 14. Moreover, the sleeve could be omitted if the pin 14is made rigid with worm wheel 8 for rotation thereby, the pin being inthis case provided with eccentric extremities engaging the arms of thecoacting member. These and other modifications, readily apparent topersons skilled in the art, are intended to be embraced within thespirit and scope of my invention except as otherwise limited by theappended claims.

I claim:

I. A forging press comprising:

a stationary frame forming a fixed anvil;

a force-transmitting member mounted on said frame for reciprocationtoward and away from said anvil; drive means for reciprocating saidforce transmitting member;

a hammer member co-operating with said anvil;

an eccentric coupling interconnecting said members for jointreciprocation, said coupling including a transverse element rotatablylodged in one of said members; and

mechanism including a motor on said frame and a flexible linkoperatively connecting said motor with said element for rotating same toadjust the relative position of said members.

2. A press as defined in claim 2 wherein said transverse element is acam sleeve, said coupling further comprising a pin connected to theother of said members and passing eccentrically through said sleeve.

3. A press as defined in claim 2 wherein said sleeve is lodged in saidforce-transmitting member, said hammer member having arms spanned bysaid pin.

4. A press as defined in claim 3, further comprising a worm wheel rigidwith said sleeve and a worm on said link engaging said wormwheel.

5. A press as defined in claim 4 wherein said flexible link includes anarticulated telescoping shaft extending between said motor and saidworm.

6. A press as defined in claim 3,. further comprising blocking means onsaid force-transmitting member for preventing rotation of said sleeveduring operation of said drive means.

7. A press as defined in claim 6 wherein said blocking means includes asplit bearing for said sleeve on said force-transmitting member andclamping means for holding said bearing together.

8. A press as defined in claim 7 wherein said split bearing has a firsthalf integral with said force-transmitting member and a separable secondhalf embracing said sleeve, said clamping means including elasticallyextensible tie means engaging said halves.

9. A press as defined in claim 8, further comprising fluid-operablespreader means for separating said halves against the force of said tiemeans.

10. A press as defined in claim9, further comprising lockout means forpreventing operation of said motor in an inoperative state of saidspreader means.

1. A forging press comprising: a stationary frame forming a fixed anvil;a force-transmitting member mounted on said frame for reciprocationtoward and away from said anvil; drive means for reciprocating saidforce transmitting member; a hammer member co-operating with said anvil;an eccentric coupling interconnecting said members for jointreciprocation, said coupling including a transverse element rotatablylodged in one of said members; and mechanism including a motor on saidframe and a flexible link operatively connecting said motor with saidelement for rotating same to adjust the relative position of saidmembers.
 2. A press as defined in claim 2 wherein said transverseelement is a cam sleeve, said coupling further comprising a pinconnected to the other of said members and passing eccentrically throughsaid sleeve.
 3. A press as defined in claim 2 wherein said sleeve islodged in said force-transmitting member, said hammer member having armsspanned by said pin.
 4. A press as defined in claim 3, furthercomprising a worm wheel rigid with said sleeve and a worm on said linkengaging said worm wheel.
 5. A press as defined in claim 4 wherein saidflexible link includes an articulated telescoping shaft extendingbetween said motor and said worm.
 6. A press as defined in claim 3,further comprising blocking means on said force-transmitting member forpreventing rotation of said sleeve during operation of said drive means.7. A press as defined in claim 6 wherein said blocking means includes asplit bearing for said sleeve on said force-transmitting member andclamping means for holding said bearing together.
 8. A press as definedin claim 7 wherein said split bearing has a first half integral withsaid force-transmitting member and a separable second half embracingsaid sleeve, said clamping means including elastically extensible tiemeans engaging said halves.
 9. A press as defined in claim 8, furthercomprising fluid-operable spreader means for separating said halvesagainst the force of said tie means.
 10. A press as defined in claim 9,further comprising lockout means for pReventing operation of said motorin an inoperative state of said spreader means.